Warning: do not let your dogs eat mulch, ANY mulch

There’s a legitimate warning circulating via e-mail about the dangers of the Cocoa landscape mulch. (In case you haven’t received it, here’s the scoop via Snopes.) The sweet smelling mulch is manufactured by Hershey’s and contains both the Theobromine and Caffeine found in chocolate. Just a few ounces could cause stomach problems, as well as seizures and death if enough is ingested. (ASPCA poison control says that as little as 20 ounces of milk chocolate can cause serious problems in a 10-pound dog.)

The mulch is sold at most garden supply stores, and according to Hershey’s 98% of dog’s won’t eat it. It’s unlikely that your pet will have a chance to eat the mulch, but with such high risks, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Why would a dog eat mulch? To be fair, mulch is just chopped up sticks-a dog’s favorite toy! But, sadly, Embrace recently handled claims in which a pet ingested regular mulch (non-toxic, basic mulch) and the splinters and debris formed a painful obstruction. Vets performed two surgeries to try to remove the many small splinters of wood from the dog’s bowel, but infection and contamination killed him.

A tragic reminder for all of us to supervise our pets at play, especially those prone to chewing foreign objects.

While you can't predict when your pet is going to get sick or injured, you can protect yourself from expensive veterinary bills. Embrace Pet Insurance gives you the freedom to do what’s best for your pet without stressing over the cost. Easily personalize your coverage to fit your budget and your pet’s needs, then visit any vet for nose-to-tail coverage. Check out what the Embrace plan covers or compare pet insurance providers to learn more.